So would you say my assessment of these boats is accurate? I’ve paddled the Currituck and the Outer Island and my impression of the Force 4 is that it probably lies in between the Currituck and the Outer Island in terms of ease-of-maneuverability, speed, tracking, ease-of-rolls etc. etc. I only got to briefly try out a Force 4 and it wasn’t in the same conditions as the other two boats. Would you folks who have paddled these three boats say that my assumption of the characteristics mentioned above are accurate for the Force 4?..that it lies in-between the Currituck and the Outer Island in those characteristics?
Pretty much on, yes.
I’d say that of the three boats, the Currituck is the most easily maneuvered with the loosest tracking, followed by the Force4, then the OI as the hardest tracker and the most edge-dependant turning. The speed may be a toss up between the OI and the Force4 depending on the cargo. Empty, I’d put money on the OI, laden on the Force4. The Currituck is no sloth either though and will keep up with equal engines. As for rolls, the OI was the easiest roller for me followed by the Currituck, then Force4, but the Force4 is quite a bit big on me. The Currituck is a little big, but not bad, and the OI just right (said Goldie Locks).
In the end, I’d probably look real hard at any of them if they came up for sale in my area for the right price. They’re all very capable craft.
Jim
Force 4 big on you?
You felt the Froce 4 was bigger on you than the Currituck? My impression from memory was that the OI was tight, the Currituck was a bit loose, and the Force 4 was right in the middle in terms of cockpit fit.
Times change perception.
– Last Updated: Jul-17-07 1:46 PM EST –
The last time I sat in a Currituck was about 2-3 years ago. At the time, I was paddling my Magellan, which is plenty big, and I felt comfy in it. The Currituck felt like a fair fit too. Since then, I've grown to like tighter, smaller cockpits. My best fit so far is in the P&H Sirius with the Vela and Force3 being close in the running. I last paddled the Force4 a month ago and it felt big...bigger than the Currituck felt to me, but I was a different paddler then as I've said. There's an Impex dealer in town here; I'll make a point of going over and comparing them back to back for you. BTW, how big are you if you don't mind me asking?
Update: Went to my local Impex dealer here. Side-by-side comparison of cockpit fit for me is almost identical. The Currituck has slightly less deck height (relative to the seat) and more dead rise, which gives it more foot room and less knuckle banging. The Currituck does feel wider/roomier at the thighs though. I stand by what I said; any of these would be acceptable boats to me, and will remain on my short list.
Jim